


Tamora Pierce Meta

by Bagheera95



Category: Emelan - Tamora Pierce, Tortall - Tamora Pierce
Genre: Alanna - Freeform, Coram - Freeform, Daine - Freeform, Meta, More To Come Maybe - Freeform, Spidrens, Tris - Freeform, crossposting from tumblr, maybe these should be separate works idk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-14 01:55:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28788336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bagheera95/pseuds/Bagheera95
Summary: Just a bunch of old meta posts off my tumblr
Comments: 8
Kudos: 7





	1. Can we talk about Tris at Lightsbridge?

People talk about the social difficulties Tris may face all the time… but let’s dig on the other side of the sandbox for a while.

We know she’s had bad experiences at similar institutions, and will probably fear bullying. We know she’s going to be lying (in some shape manner or form) about her identity.

But this is a Tris who is not just a fully qualified (ambient) mage, but a Tris who has TAUGHT other mages, both ambient and academic.

Who is attending Lightsbridge to get an “ordinary” qualification, yes, but also to learn more. And since she’ll know a lot of the basics (she reads a LOT and cared for Glaki) she’ll undoubtedly be judging the teachers. Good ones, fine, but how will she react to the bad ones? What about teachers who are wrong?

And Tris doesn’t _do_ social - she hides away with a book. That’s totally cool. But for as much of her mage education as we know of, she was taught one-on-one (or close enough). Or, perhaps more often, given the books and self-studied.

I predict a culture shock. Assuming Lightsbridge resembles universities in our universe, anyway. How will Tris cope with lectures? With group work or people who are only half interested or because magical theory is _hard_ work and it’s not like they CHOSE to be a mage…

Has Tris ever done any formalised learning since her ambient magic was discovered? Does academic magic involve essays or scientific-esque experiments, complete with write-ups?

Ambient magic (learning) appeared very much “go with the flow” - learn the craft, learn some basic exercises and guidelines, then do what you like (especially if your name is Sandry, Tris, Daja or Briar). Surely academic magic is more formal and rigorous?

What if Tris finds the work difficult? Academic writing is not an innate talent. She’s spent her while life compensating (at least in part) for all the things her family criticised about her by being *smart*. A bookworm. And yes, she runs into unexpected things - but that’s lightning’s fault (or close enough).

What if she struggles at Lightsbridge on an academic front?

In the past, when mages have criticised her ‘ignorance’ she’s been able to prove then wrong with her ambient magic; or pull out her medallion to shut them up. It’s been a long time since she’s been an ignorant “nothing”. But that is (presumably) what she’ll be at Lightsbridge. What she *wants* to be.

There’s gonna be problems :D

_Original Tags: tris, lightsbridge, emelan, my thoughts, there is so much potential for disaster - I can't wait!, (I hope this is coherent)_


	2. Alanna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "My father is a scholar."

> _"My father is a scholar."_

\- Alanna, _Wild Magic_

* * *

This is such an interesting comment. Because every time I read it, I think first of Lord Alan, who was (in some ways) a scholar to end all scholars. But then as the conversation continues, it becomes obvious she is actually referring to Myles. And there’s this wonderful moment of realisation when I remember he adopted her and I can be happy all over again about it! But also, this sets up a really interesting parallel between Alan and Myles? Not just in their behaviour as father-figures to Alanna, but also as to why. Because, all through SotL, Alan’s neglect is framed as being because he’s a scholar - more interested in his scrolls than his children. We hear it from Alanna, we hear it from Duke Gareth, we hear it from everywhere. And yet Myles is also a scholar--Alanna could barely envisage him as a warrior knight--but remains connected to the outside world.

_Original Tags: I don't really know where I was going with this, but it seemed relevant?, tortall, myles, words, apparently this reread comes with analysis, oops?, (and a lot of it I'm resisting too), immortals, I imagine this has been seen before - I just never made the connection?_


	3. Coram

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When the others came for her with one of the spare horses, they saw she was unable to ride. Coram looked at Liam, but the Dragon’s expression made it clear he would rather not be near Alanna just then. Coram pulled her up behind him onto the saddle.

> _When the others came for her with one of the spare horses, they saw she was unable to ride. Coram looked at Liam, but the Dragon’s expression made it clear he would rather not be near Alanna just then. Coram pulled her up behind him onto the saddle. -_ Lioness Rampant, Tamora Pierce

* * *

And with December, I pause to reread Tamora Pierce :) Amongst the many things I love about her work is the way with every reading I find something new and wonderful within.

Yes, Liam is scared of magic, and those who wield the Gift. Indeed, it’s essentially posed as the deal-breaker in his relationship with Alanna: “someday she would have to leave him—no love would last when he feared part of her” and we see that here, when he seeks to distance herself after Alanna exhausts herself holding the camp during the raid.

But you know who ELSE hates (hated?) magic? Who acquiesced to the far-fetched plan of a ten-year-old under the threat of having magic worked on him? Who was glad to escape the room when serious magic was being done in Book 1? Coram.

Coram who (as we’ve just been reminded pages earlier) has devoted his life thus far to raising Alanna. Coram, whose love for Alanna time and again trumps his fear of magic until, truly, by this stage of the quartet we see less ‘fear’ or ‘hatred’ and more grudging acceptance (and appreciation for some of the benefits such as long distance conversation with Rispah).

Alanna has grown to accept that the Gift is part of who she is and, through his love of her, Coram too has grown comfortable with magic.

This passage doesn’t just highlight how Alanna’s relationship with Liam will fail. It also is a beautiful characterisation of Coram, showing how his love of Alanna truly is a dominant aspect of his personality.

_Original Tags: meta, coram is a Good, sotl, tortall, come and talk to me about tamora pierce, no really, :), reread 2017_


	4. Spidrens

So spidrens are the only part-human immortal we reject. There’s been plenty talk about the redemption arc of stormwings (which is fascinating) but spidrens have no such luck. Sure, they don’t have a convenient connection to warfare, and it’s ethical dilemmas, but they’re still worthy of note.

The scene where Daine is captured by spidrens in RotG is particularly key here - before that moment, we have never actually seen spidrens communicate. But here, they talk, tease, and show personality. Suddenly, these monstrous terrors become sentient beings.

In Kel’s books, we return to viewing their monstrosity - eating kittens, kidnapping villagers (and eating them alive-ish, limb by limb), killing Seaver’s father etc. We even have Tkaa - a fellow Immortal, traveller and diplomat - proclaim “Spidrens are monstrous” on the first day of page classes in First Test. But we also learn they have young, (and many of them) and **we** burn those children alive. Kel’s response to the young’s screams--vomit--is the closest we ever get to sympathy. As Protector of the Small, it’s little surprise she is affected by the sounds of children screaming (in human voices) as they burn to death (I sure don’t want to ever hear such a thing) but it’s interesting that she never gives it any more thought (not least because she IS Protector of the Small.) I’m pretty sure at some point, Kel is even told that spidrens are the only Immortals so monstrous they can’t be negotiated with, yet in that scene from RotG, it is apparent that, if not negotiated, Ozorne has dealt with them by spreading word of his desire for the capture of Daine.

Immortals have all kinds of interesting implications on the moral scale, and a number of species are dealt with wonderfully. Stormwings through metaphor and Rikash; ogres that love farming (and ogres who love fighting); centaurs in _Squire_ of all levels of behaviours. Hurroks are also somewhat hard done by in their demonisation - how can you create an entire race as an evil inversion? Really? Sure they’re constructed with claws instead of hooves, and predatory skulls, but nature isn’t everything, and as Cloud observes to Daine, opposing natures doesn’t mean evil. But there is interesting potential in hurroks. We know that they are an inversion of the kudarung, and while we don’t *see* any “evil” kudarung, we do find annoying ones (albeit justifiably). And it seems reasonable to assume that if there were “bad” kudarung, their inverse would be “good” hurroks. Equally, the kraken was dark and creepy, but he was blatantly a unique individual, and not a representative for his entire race. Spidrens (as yet) have had no such regard.

Admittedly, spidrens are TERRIFYING (I am arachnophobic and Australian… I’m just thankful I don’t imagine spidrens as particularly spider-like), and let me take this moment to credit Alanna fighting spidrens in the dark, before knowing of their existence, given that spiders scared her enough the were a part of her Ordeal! But, surely this is no worse than a stormwing’s odour and behaviour? Maybe we need a spider lover (one of those bizarre people who keep tarantulas as pets, say) to defend a spidren’s right to existence. Maybe we don’t. Maybe spidrens are humanity’s natural predators. Who knows. I just think spidrens need some consideration, I guess. There are avenues to explore.

_Original Tags: Spidrens, tortall, meta, finally publishing some of my thoughts from my immortals/pots reread, pots, immortals, if anyone adds spiders to this I will be very unhappy_


	5. Daine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "“Witch!” a man screamed. “Sorceress!
> 
> ”Did they think names mattered anymore?"

> _"“Witch!” a man screamed. “Sorceress!”_  
>  _Did they think names_ mattered _anymore?"_

— _Emperor Mage_ by Tamora Pierce

* * *

Can we talk character growth? Here’s a girl who was chased away from home, hunted by villagers and fearful of madness. Who couldn’t imagine having friends, or a home, or even social acceptance. Shamed dreadfully by her surname, which marked her as a bastard child.

And here she is on the back of a reanimated mammoth, shrugging off insults as meaningless nonsense as she tries to reason a squad of soldiers.

What a difference two years have made.

_Original Tags: emperor mage is pissing me off so much with the Daine/Numair setup, (I never disliked it SO actively before), but this is p superb, tortall, words, daine ,this is not my book, :), i can't decide whether to throw these posts in my meta tag or not..._


End file.
